Holiday

Gingerbread Cookie Decorating & Story Hour

It’s not the holidays without gingerbread cookies! Join us in the kitchen for a gingerbread cookie decorating workshop for kids. First we’ll learn how to make the dough from scratch – measure ingredients, learn about the science behind baking, work the dough, and cut out the shapes. Then we’ll provide gingerbread cookies, and icing and candies for decorating. Each child will take home five (5) decorated cookies. After our creations are complete, we’ll move into the dining room to enjoy treats, hot cocoa, and a gingerbread man story.

When:

Saturday, December 22, 2019 10-11:30am

Location:

Trustees of Reservations

Gingerbread

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Holiday Community Sing Along

The Holiday Sing-Along at Rockport Music's Shalin Liu Center is FREE Holiday fun

Get in the holiday spirit and join Rockport Music’s annual holiday community sing-along. This year’s event will feature the brass ensemble Some Assembly Required, as well as sing-alongs of holiday favorites led by the Rockport High School’s Madrigal Singers. Free, no tickets required. First come, first serve on day of event.

When:

Saturday, December 21, 2019 7pm

Location:

Shalin Liu Performance Center

Rockport

Holiday

Sing Along

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Pack the Bus for Pathways!

Come to beauport Hotel in Gloucester to help a local organization - Pathways for Children!

Come stop by the hotel any day between 9am and 9pm before December 19th and drop a new, unwrapped toy into the blue beach bus. The bus doors will be closed for the season December 19th at 2PM. Let's get this bus packed again this year! Pack our beach bus with toys for Pathways! Between Friday, November 29th and December 19th, stop by Beauport Hotel Gloucester anytime between 9am and 9pm daily and place a new, unwrapped toy in our blue beach bus. All toys will be donated to Pathways for Children.

When:

Daily through December 19, 2019

Location:

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Lobster Trap Tree Lighting

The annual Middle Street Walk 2024 wraps up every year with the lighting of the lobster trap Christmas tree in Gloucester Massachusetts! Stop by Cape Ann Art Haven for a Holiday Party with hot chocolate, sweet treats, kids' crafts, holiday photos, face painting live music. Caroling starts at 4:30pm, followed by the tree lighting across the street at 5pm. Come find your buoy hanging on the tree, enjoy caroling, seeing the star put on the tree join us for the countdown and celebrate the season with the lighting of our Lobster Trap Tree!

When:

Saturday, December 14, 2019 4-6pm

Location:

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Santa at Woodman's

Come to Woodman's in Essex Massachsuetts to visit with Santa!

Visit with Santa at Woodman's Restaurant in Essex. Enjoy a great local prepared meal and take advantage of this great photo op!

When:

Saturday, December 14, 2019 1-3pm

Sunday, December 15, 2019 1-3pm

Location:

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MAC Holiday Toy Drive

Manchester Athletic Club Holiday Toy Drive - Manchester MA

With the need for toys at an all-time high for local children, Manchester Athletic is offering a generous benefit for your donation. Bring in any new and unwrapped toy to donate to the toy drive, MAC will waive the join fee. MAC collects as many toys and gift card donations as possible to fulfill North Shore needs.

Bring your toy before December 17.

For further information, please call 978-526-8900

When:

now through Tuesday, December 17, 2019 6am-8:00pm

Location:

Manchester Athletic Club

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Festivus 5K For Autism

Come Race the Festivus 5k in downtown Salem Massachusetts and raise funds for kids with autism.

Come race the Festivus 5k in downtown Salem Massachusetts and raise funds for the Northshore Education Consortium of Beverly to help them purchase technology to assist and educate children with autism! Festivus 5K (F5K) for Autism is a yearly Festivus-themed holiday race through historic Salem, MA. The event is sponsored by Friends of North Shore Education Consortium. To date, F5K has raised over $100,000 to help children with autism and their families. Costumes are welcome and encouraged!

When:

Sunday, December 15, 2019 10am-Noon

Location:

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Holiday Adventures of the Misfit Toys | Matinee

Holiday Adventures of the Misfit Toys performed by Jaoppa Dance Company at the Firehousecenter for the Arts

Firehouse Center for the Arts hosts Joppa Dance Company as they present 'The Holiday Adventures of the Misfit Toys', an original dance-theater production that centers around three unlikely friends. One, a stuffed animal that doesn’t fit into any particular species; the second, a doll that prefers an alternative punky-gothic style to the usual pink frills; the third, a Barbie who rejects the normal attire for…men’s suits? Yes!

When:

Friday, December 6, 2019 8pm

Saturday, December 7, 2019 2 & 8pm

Sunday, December 8, 2019 2pm

Location:

Firehouse Center for the Arts

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Market Street Lynnfield Holiday Stroll

Calendar of Events and Things to Do Northshore Massachusetts. Shopping, Dining and Entertainment at MarketStreet Lynnfield

Cue the mistletoe and pine scented candles because MarketStreet’s Holiday Stroll is BACK! MarketStreet Lynnfield invites us to kick off the Holiday Season with amazing shopping opportunities, scrumptious food sampling, interactive holiday decor, Ice Bar hosted by Notch Brewing, live entertainment, festive activities and a very special tree lighting led by Mr. Clause himself!

Beginning at 3 PM, stop by Market Square to pick up your event guide that will include all of your favorite activities, special in-store promotions, and so much more.

Let’s stroll-here’s what we have for you:

STROLL HAPPENINGS

When:

Sunday, December 8, 2019 at 3 PM - 6 PM

Location:

MarketStreet Lynnfield

Lynnfield

Holiday

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Holiday Children's Party at Castle Hill

Kids will meet Santa at the Crane Estate in Ipswich MA!

Make memories with your child or grandchild at our Children's Christmas Party. Set in the magnificent Great House lavishly decorated for the holidays, you'll enjoy holiday songs with children's entertainer Jennie Mack, a craft, refreshments, and of course, a special visit with Santa who will have a gift for every child. Reservations strongly recommended. Your name will be on a reservation list at the door rather than receiving tickets.

When:

Tuesday, December 17, 2019 4-5:30pm

Location:

Castle Hill on the Crane Estate

Trustees of Reservations

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Bruins Pajama Drive

From February 1 through March 15, Cradles to Crayons®, the Boston Bruins, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, and Wonderfund are coming together with organizations in your community to collect new pajamas for local children living in low-income and homeless situations. Together, we are...

7:00 am to 9:00 pm

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Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!

Where: Halibut Point State Park

7:00 am to 6:00 pm

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Music Together - Tuesday in Marblehead

Music Together® is a research-based music & movement program for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and the grown-ups who love them. Music Together® of Salem classes make it easy for parents/primary caregivers to play a crucial role in activating their child's music development. Classes are 45...

Where: Unitarian Universalist Church of Marblehead

10:00 am to 10:45 am

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Wenham Museum Spring/Summer Sports Sale

Back by popular demand! After a successful inaugural sale in 2024, Wenham Museum’s Spring & Summer Sports Sale returns for its second year. In keeping with the Museum’s former Attic Treasures Sale tradition, the Spring & Summer Sports Sale brings the community together for a fun and...

Where: Wenham Museum

10:00 am to 6:00 pm

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Barnyard Story Hour at Appleton Farms

Barnyard stories really come alive when you get to see the main characters in real life! Bring the kids down to Appleton Farms for our farm-fresh version of story time. Explore the farmstead, visit our learning garden, see our cows and rabbits, and find a spot to play under a shady tree in our...

Where: Appleton Farms

10:30 am to 11:30 am

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Guided Tour | When Granite Was King!

Halibut Point State Park is also a granite quarry with a history that goes back billions of years! Over one hundred years ago, the Rockport Granite Company quarried granite stone here.

Where: Halibut Point State Park

11:00 am to 12:30 pm

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Saturday, March 22

All Family Field Trips - Coastal Winter Wildlife

Come explore what nature has in store at some of our most amazing wild places on the north shore. Our engaging and experienced staff will introduce families to local beaches, forests, and wetlands to make observations in nature, identify wildlife, and enjoy hands on science activities outdoors....

Where: Salisbury Beach State Reservation

10:00 am to 12:00 pm

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First Aid, CPR & AED Training at ESM

Take a CPR, First Aid, and AED Certification Course hosted by the Essex Historical Society and Shipbuilding Museum at the charming Museum School House. Gain essential life-saving skills and the confidence to handle emergencies with ease.

Where: Essex Shipbuilding Museum

10:00 am to 2:00 pm

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Guided Tour | When Granite Was King!

Halibut Point State Park is also a granite quarry with a history that goes back billions of years! Over one hundred years ago, the Rockport Granite Company quarried granite stone here.

Where: Halibut Point State Park

11:00 am to 12:30 pm

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CraneOutdoors: Family Winter Wildlife Walk

A CraneOutdoors Family Winter Wildlife Walk will take you on a stroll through the Crane Beach dunes while learning about the plants and animals that call this special place home. You may be familiar with Crane Beach, but have you ever visited the dune trails? The dunes of Castle Neck are a much...

Where: Crane Wildlife Refuge on the Crane Estate

1:00 pm to 3:00 pm

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Sunday, March 23

Babson Farm Quarry Self-guided Walking Tour at Halibut Point

Take a self guided tour at one of Massachusetts most beautiful locations!

Where: Halibut Point State Park

7:00 am to 6:00 pm

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Wenham Museum Spring/Summer Sports Sale

Where: Wenham Museum

10:00 am to 6:00 pm

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CraneOutdoors: The Castle Hill Hike

Come explore the lesser-visited corners of Castle Hill and its surroundings with us this season. This hike is a CraneOutdoors guide favorite because it’s got a little bit of all the things that make the Crane Estate such a special place…

Where: Castle Hill on the Crane Estate

10:00 am to 12:00 pm

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Amesbury Winter Market

Welcome to Amesbury Market Daze at BareWolf Brewing, a bi-weekly vendor market where local surrounding Amesbury talent and community spirit converge. We take pride in curating a consistent marketplace that showcases local art and food from talented local artisans, chefs, farmers, creators and...

Where: Barewolf Brewing

12:00 pm to 4:00 pm

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